5426 Sharp: A Probable Hungaria Binary
Abstract
Initial CCD photometry observations of the Hungaria asteroid 5426 Sharp in 2014 December and 2015 January at the Center of Solar System Studies-Palmer Divide Station in Landers, CA, showed attenuations from the general lightcurve, indicating the possibility of the asteroid being a binary system. The secondary period was almost exactly an Earth day, prompting a collaboration to be formed with observers in Europe, which eventually allowed establishing two periods: P1 = 4.5609 ± 0.0003 h, A1 = 0.18 ± 0.01 mag and P2 = 24.22 ± 0.02 h, A2 = 0.08 ± 0.01 mag. No mutual events, i.e., occultations and/or eclipses, were seen, therefore the asteroid is considered a probable and not confirmed binary
- Publication:
-
Minor Planet Bulletin
- Pub Date:
- July 2015
- Bibcode:
- 2015MPBu...42..206W